From Holy God to Holy King
On Rosh Hashana, God judges the world (and all the people therein), but their fates are not sealed until 10 days later, on Yom Kippur. It is during these ten days during that we must…
God’s Secret Things
In a little over a week, Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, will be celebrated. While New Year’s celebrations are nice (the Jewish calendar actually has four of them!), Rosh Hashana’s…
From Holy God to Holy King
On Rosh Hashana, God judges the world (and all the people therein), but their fates are not sealed until 10 days later, on Yom Kippur. It is during these ten days during that we must…
Fearing God
“The fear of God is the beginning of knowledge...” (Proverbs 1:7) The idea of “fearing God” carries with it overtones of fire and brimstone, a puritanical flavor that seems foreign to our…
Seeking God in Elul
Psalm 27 is read twice daily from the beginning of the month of Elul through the holiday of Sukkot in order to help each Jew develop the beautiful relationship that one can have with the…
Sabbath Prayers: Ein Keh’lo’hay’nu/There Is None Like Our God
There is no one (or thing) like God, and, when all is said and done, this is the essence of everything that a Jew says and does. Only God can create the world. Only God can be master of…
The Blessings of the Amidah: God Loves Us
The nineteen blessings of the Amidah make up the core of the Jewish prayer service. The eleventh blessing focuses on God’s love of justice and requests a return to judges such as we had…
The Blessings of the Amidah: Closeness to God
The nineteen blessings of the Amidah make up the core of the Jewish prayer service. Having recognized that God is the source of wisdom in the fourth blessing, the fifth blessing beseeches…
How Does God Rest?
On the first six days of creation, God created (Day 1) the heavens and earth, light as separated from darkness; (Day 2) the firmament to separate the water (Day 3) dry land, a bringing…
The Blessings of the Amidah: God’s Holiness
The nineteen blessings of the Amidah make up the core of the Jewish prayer service. The third blessing is a declaration of God’s holiness. Ah’tah kadosh v’shim’cha kadosh, uk’doshim…